Multiple-system double-cylinder circular knitting machine for knitting links-and-links patterns

ABSTRACT

A MULTIPLE-SYSTEM DOUBLE-CYLINDER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER CYLINDERS EACH PROVIDED WITH A CAM ASSEMBLY AND A NEEDLE ASSEMBLY ONE OF WHICH ROTATES WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER FOR ACTING ON A CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROW OF DOUBLE-ENDED LATCH NEEDLES IN A GIVEN DIRECTION THE UPPER AND LOWER CYLINDERS RESPECTIVELY HAVE COUPLING SLIDERS COACTING WITH THE NEEDLES FOR TRANSFERRING THEM BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER CYLINDERS, WHILE THE LOWER CYLINDER HAS PATTERN JACKS AND INTERMEDIATE JACKS COACTING WITH THE PATTERN JACKS FOR CONTROLLING THE COUPLING SLIDERS OF THE LOWER CYLINDER. EACH OF THE CYLINDERS IS DIVIDED INTO A SERIES OF INDEPENDENT KNITTING SYSTEMS, AND EACH KNITTING SYSTEM OF THE LOWER CYLINDER IS PROVIDED WITH A COLLECTING STATION WHERE ALL OF THE COUPLING SLIDERS ARE COLLECTED, AND A SELECTING STATION WHERE A SELECTION IS MADE OF THOSE PATTERN JACKS WHICH WILL INFLUENCE THE INTERMEDIATE JACKS TO BRING ABOUT MOVEMENT OF SELECTED COUPLING SLIDERS OF THE LOWER CYLINDER. IN ACCORDANCE WITH ONE FEATRE OF THE INVENTION, THE SELECTING STATION OF EACH KNITTING SYSTEM IS SITUATED, AS SEEN IN THE DIRECTIN IN WHICH THE ROW OF NEEDLES ARE ACTED UPON, IN ADVANCE OF THE COLLECTING STATION OF EACH KNITTING SYSTEM.

MULTIPLE-SYSTEM DOUBLE-CYLINDER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING LINKS-AND-LINKS PATTERNS Filed July 24, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet x A) lfl 4 /8 4 4E 7\ H LE1 I H n w H47 H47 /6 U /6 Li /6 U INVENTORII ERNST DIETER PLATH Va/6mm;

ATTORNEY 3,564,869 gm; MACHINE 1971 ERNST-DIETER PLATH MULTIPLE-SYSTEM DOU NDER CIRCULAR KNIT FOR KNITT S'AND'LINKS PATTER Filed July 24, 1968 BLE-CYLI ING LINK.

eats-Sheet 2 FIG. 2e F/GZd F/GZc F/GZb v H6. 20

I INVENTOR 2 ERNST DIE TEE PLATH ATTORNEY MULTIPLE-SYSTEM DOUBLE-CYLINDER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE F KNITTING LINKS-AND-LINKS PATTERNS 5 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed July 24, 1968 0 0 w w K26 W WM P l n T 7 Q $6 0 P J 3 u A I d b/ m I? D 5 F LW l fl- 1 MG 2. l p H MD M FIG. 3

' INVENTOR ERNST D/ETER. PLAT H BY: 0 i

ATTORNEY 1971 ERNST-DIETER PLATH 3,564,869

MULTIPLEFSYSTEM DQUBLE-CYLINDER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING LINKS-AND-LINKS PATTERNS I '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 24, 1968 I4 I T 7 272 F/G. 80 H6. 86 F/GI '80 INVENTORZ ERNST DIE TEE PLAT/1' BY i/m Q @Q ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,564,869 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 firm Filed July 24, 1968, Ser. No. 747,232 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 2, 1967, M 75,011 Int. Cl. D04b 9/10 US. Cl. 66-14 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multiple-system double-cylinder circular knitting machine having upper and lower cylinders each provided with a cam assembly and a needle assembly one of which rotates with respect to the other for acting on a circumferential row of double-ended latch needles in a given direction. The upper and lower cylinders respectively have coupling sliders coacting with the needles for transferring them between the upper and lower cylinders, while the lower cylinder has pattern jacks and intermediate jacks coacting with the pattern jacks for controlling the coupling sliders of the lower cylinder. Each of the cylinders is divided into a series of independent knitting systems, and each knitting system of the lower cylinder is provided with a collecting station where all of the coupling sliders are collected, and a selecting station where a selection is made of those pattern jacks which will influence the intermediate jacks to bring about movement of selected coupling sliders of the lower cylinder. In accordance with one feature of the invention, the selecting station of each knitting system is situated, as seen in the direction in which the row of needles are acted upon, in advance of the collecting station of each knitting system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to multiple-system double-cylinder circular knitting machines for knitting links-and-links patterns.

With double-cylinder circular knitting machines, the operating speed of the machine is maintained within relatively narrow limits because of the required transfer of needles ,between upper and lower cylinders of these machines, in either direction between these cylinders. This limitation on the operating speed assures proper operation of coupling sliders during needle transfer operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, a primary object of the invention to provide a double-cylinder circular knitting machine of the above general type which can operate very reliably to achieve patterned knitted goods at a rate of output which is substantially higher than has heretofore been possible.

In particular it is an object of the invention to provide a double-cylinder circular knitting machine capable of accommodating a large number of circumferentially distributed independent knitting systems enabling a large number of courses to be knitted during each revolution.

Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a double-cylinder circular knitting machine of the above general type which will enable the components thereof to be reliably protected against possible damage.

In order to solve this problem it has already been proposed to reduce the circumferential length of the individual knitting systems in such a way that pattern selections are only made at every second knitting system in the lower cylinder with the selecting station having all of the sliders of the lower cylinder passing by each selecting station after having been previously collected in advance of the selecting station at a suitable collecting station.

With the present invention there is an even further improvement in the structure of the machine so as to achieve an even higher output, without, however, in any Way requiring any limitation in the pattern possibilities.

In accordance with the invention there is provided at each knitting system in the lower cylinder a selecting station where, in accordance with a predetermined pattern, selected jacks will bring about control of the sliders to achieve a selected transfer of the needles between the upper and lower cylinders, and each knitting system in the lower cylinder has a collecting station for all of the cou pling sliders. According to the invention the selecting station of each knitting system in the lower cylinder, as considered in the circumferential direction in which the needles are acted upon, is situated in advance of the collecting station of each knitting system.

This arrangement of the selecting station in advance of the collecting station in each knitting system brings about a very substantial reduction in the circumferential width required for each knitting system, so that around the circumference of a given machine it is possible to arrange a substantially greater number of knitting systems than was heretofore possible. The result is that during each revolu tion of the machine a larger number of courses are knitted than has heretofore been possible with conventional machines.

The control of the coupling sliders for the double-ended latch needles in the lower cylinder is brought about in accordance with the invention at the selecting and collecting stations of each knitting system by way of the butts which are guided along predetermined cam paths. In particular, the coupling sliders of the lower cylinder are acted upon by intermediate jacks whose butts are directed along special cam paths, and these intermediate jacks are in turn controlled by the selections made at the selection stations through pattern jacks. As a result of these intermediate jacks, it is possible for needles which have knitted in the previous knitting system at the upper cylinder to knit again at the next knitting system in the upper cylinder directly after a corresponding control operation has been provided for the corresponding coupling sliders of the lower cylinder just subsequent to the collecting station of the particular knitting system, so that at the next knitting operation the knitting system can again knit a reverse loop.

However, in the case where the coupling sliders of the lower cylinder are not influenced by the intermediate jacks just subsequent to the collecting station of a given knitting system, there will be a return of the corresponding needle into the lower cylinder, so that now the reverse loop which was knitted at the previous knitting system is followed at the next knitting system by knitting of a face loop. Thus, the selecting arrangement of the invention brings about a selective positioning of the individual needles from one knitting system to the next, so that there is a practically unlimited pattern possibility.

The coupling sliders of the lower cylinder, after a needle has been transferred therefrom to the upper cylinder, remain, after uncoupling, in their outwardly swung uncoupling positions, so that until the next-following collecting station is reached there is no noticeable and time-consuming longitudinal shifting which must be carried out and which would result in an unnecessary wearing away of the sliders and above all in an undesirable increase in the required width for each knitting system, since the longitudinal shifting of the sliders must be accompanied not by cam paths of any desired steepness but rather by relatively flat cam paths which thus require a considerably circumferential dimension.

In order to avoid damaging of the machine during the possibly very frequent interchange of the needles between the upper and lower cylinders in either direction, and in order to improve the needle movement at relatively high operating speeds for the machine, the upper and lower cam assemblies are respectively provided with coupling slider retaining means with each of these retaining means extending circumferentially along the entire width of an individual knitting system and including an elongated rib projection situated in a groove of a wall of the cam assembly wherein the retaining means is yieldable and resiliently supported for limited radial movement while being prevented from axial movement.

At the needle-coupling stations the retaining means are formed with depressions into which the coupling sliders can swing. Beside these depressions the retaining means are formed with outward guide surfaces which extend at least in the immediate vicinity of the exterior surface of the retaining means. Moreover, each coupling slider of the invention is formed with an elongated notch at its side which is directed toward the retaining means, and the length of this notch is at least as great as the width of the guide surface and is arranged in such a way that a swinging of a coupling slider in the region of a depression of the retaining means takes place, in spite of the presence of the guide surface, in the case where the cam structure provides a predetermined coupling path of movement for the coupling sliders. If the coupling sliders are not guided along this latter cam path, then the guide surfaces of the retaining means act to prevent tilting of the coupling sliders, an operation which is of the utmost importance in connection with the swinging of the latches of the needles during axial movement of the latter with respect to the tips of the coupling sliders.

As a result of the yieldable resilient support of retaining means, damaging of the cams, cylinder ribs, and coupling sliders is avoided in the event that the tip of a coupling slider, during coupling, does not coact properly with the latch of a needle to open the latter latch.

The elongated configuration of each retaining means preferably enables the latter to be situated in a groove of the wall which carries the cams of the cam assembly so as to reliably prevent axial displacement of the retaining means, while each retaining means is provided at its central region, between its opposed ends, with an axially extending stop member which is normally acted upon by a pair of springs symmetrically situated with respect to the stop member between the retaining means and the base of the groove in which the latter is guided. These springs form a spring means urging the stop member into engagement with the rear surface of a cam plate which affords a limited extent of radial shifting of the retaining means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of exampling the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic developed illustration of the cam assemblies for the upper and lower cylinders of a double- 4 cylinder circular knitting machine of the invention, with these cam assemblies shown distributed over three independent knitting systems;

FIGS. 2a-2e are respectively schematic sectional elevations taken along lines 2a2a up to 2e2e of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic developed illustration showing the structure of FIG. 1 with different controls achieved by way of an unillustrated pattern selecting device;

FIGS. 4a-4e are respectively fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevations taken from section lines 4a4a up to 4e-4e of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of a pair of retaining means for the knitting systems of the lower and upper cylinders;

FIGS. 6a-6c are respectively fragmentary longitudinal sections taken along lines 6a--6a, 6b-6b and 6c6c of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional plan view taken along line 77 of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows and showing further details of the retaining means; and

FIGS. 8a8c respectively correspond to FIGS. 6a-6c but illustrate how the coupling sliders are acted upon when they are not directed along a predetermined coupling cam path.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Double-cylinder circular knitting machines have, as is well known, double-ended latch needles which are selectively capable of operating either in the lower or in the upper cylinder. Thus, it is possible for these needles to be transferred from the lower into the upper cylinder, as well as in the reverse direction, to bring about a selective coupling of the needles with coupling sliders of the upper and lower needle cylinders. The coupling is brought about by swinging of a coupling slider, constructed so as to carry out a limited tilting movement, in a slider guide path of the cylinder during simultaneous longitudinal shifting of the needle, so that the double-ended latch needles will be selectively engaged and released at its opposed ends. The construction of the double-cylinder circular knitting machine is in general so well known that a more detailed explanation need not be provided. With the paritcular ma chine illustrated in the drawings, there is shown a stationary cam assembly and a rotary needle assembly, although it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to machines having stationary needle assemblies and rotary cam assemblies.

In FIGS. 1 and 3 the cam assembly of the upper cylinder O and the cam assembly of the lower cylinder U are illustrated in a developed view which is for the most part schematic and which is shown as including three independent knitting systems I, II, III following one another. It is to be understood that a series of such independent systems are circumferentially distributed about the common axis of the upper and lower cylinders. FIGS. 2 and 4 show sections taken axial through the knitting system II, these sectional views of FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrating the slider and needle positions during operations which take place at this knitting system with different controls brought about by the selecting device. In the following description, the individual machine components are indi cated by Arabic numerals.

As is apparent from FIGS. 2a-2e and 4a-4e, there are arranged in the guide slots of the lower cylinder, one after the other from the bottom toward the top, pattern jacks 10, intermediate jacks 11, and coupling sliders 12 for the double-ended latch needles 13 with these components 10, 11, 12 being longitudinally or axially shiftable; coupling sliders 12 are also capable of a limited swinging movement toward and away from the axis of the cylinder. In the upper cylinder 0 there are slots for axially or longitudinally guiding the coupling sliders 14 which are precisely aligned with the coupling sliders 12 over the lower cylinder. The intermediate jacks 11 and the coupling sliders 12 and 14 respectively have butts 110, and which extend into predetermined cam paths of the knitting systems I-III, as is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 3. The butts advance through the knitting systems I-III in the direction of the arrow 15, so it is in this circumferential direction that the successive needles are acted upon. The pattern jacks are provided with upper butts 100, shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, and an unillustrated lower butt is also provided for each pattern jack 10. This lower butt of each pattern jack 10 will or will not coact with a control cam 16 in the lower cylinder U (FIGS. 1 and 3) depending upon the particular pattern selection.

The pattern selection is carried out by way of a known Jacquard selecting apparatus, with a selecting structure being provided for each knitting system. The Jacquard apparatus includes pin drums which in a known way act at the selecting stations 17, illustrated in the form of elongated dotted slots in FIGS. 1 and 3, on the unillustrated lower control butts of the pattern jacks 10. Thus, if a pin of the selecting drum engages a lower control butt of a given pattern jack 10 then this pattern jack is swung into the cylinder guide path to such an extent that the lower butt is displaced beyond the region of the control cam 16. As a result, such a pattern jack is not raised into the particular knitting system. However, if the particular pattern jack is not engaged by a pin of the selecting drum, then it will move with its lower butt into engagement with the control cam 16 so as to be raised into the cam path to influence the particular immediate jack 11 situated thereover, as is explained in greater detail below in connection with FIGS. 2 and 4.

The cam assembly of the systems I-III shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is identical for each system. Thus, each cam assembly for each system includes in the lower cylinder, in addition to the control cam 16, cams defining the lower cam path 18 and upper cam path 19 for the butts 110 of the intermediate jacks 11 as well as cams defining the lower path and the upper path 21 for the butts 120 of the coupling sliders 12 of the lower cylinder. For the butts 120 of the coupling sliders 12 there is in addition an upper coupling path 22. The butts 140 of the upper coupling sliders 14 are guided along identical unchanging paths in each knitting system of the upper cylinder, this path being the single cam path 28 providing for movement of the coupling sliders between the loop-sinking stations 29 and the coupling regions 30.

In circumferential alignment with the selecting locations 17 of the pattern selecting device, there is at each individual knitting system a selecting station A which is situated, considered in the direction in which the circumferential row of needles are acted upon, in advance of the cam paths 19 and 21 for the butts 110 and 120, respectively, of the intermediate jacks 11 and the coupling sliders 12, respectively, the selecting station A being situated in each of the systems I-III in advance of the location where the paths 19 and 21 branch from the lower paths 1 8 and 20, respectively. The upper cam path 21 for the butts 120 of the coupling sliders 12 leads to a location where it becomes connected with and communicates with an upper coupling path 22 which extends beneath a collecting station S, so that all of the coupling sliders 12 in the paths 21 and 22 come together to an intermediate position at the collecting station S, to thus bring all of the needles into a position for return from the upper cylinder into the lower cylinder. It is possible, however, for a given needle, immediately after movement of a coupling slider beyond the collecting station S, in accordance with the particular controls derived from the pattern selecting structure, to again be displaced into the upper cylinder during the next-following knitting at the next knitting system so that the coupling sliders remain in the upper coupling cam paths, or instead of continuing along the upper path 22 of the next following knitting system it is possible, in accordance with the selection, for the coupling sliders to be guided along the cam paths 20 which lead to the loop sinking feed cams 40 and then to the loop-sinker cams 23 of the several knitting systems I-III.

An important feature of the invention is thus the arrangement in each knitting system of the selecting station A in advance of the collecting station S seen in the circumferential direction in which the row of needles is acted upon. In conventional double-cylinder circular knitting machines, as known up to the present time, it is necessary to return all of the needles initially to the selecting station of the pattern selecting device in the lower cylinder, and then to bring about the selection of the needles which in the next-following knitting system will knit in the upper cylinder. However, with the structure of the present invention, by way of a corresponding action on the particular slider of a given needle which is to be controlled, the selection of the needle is already made at the lower cylinder before the needles are brought together at the collecting station, where in accordance with the previously made selection the needles can immediately be directed in the desired number back to the upper cylinder, so that they can knit loops at the upper cylinder in the same knitting system Where the selection is made. It is thus unnecessary to provide any limitation on the pattern possibilities, and by the location of the selecting station A in advance of the collecting station S and the avoiding of a full return cycle of the needles into the lower cylinder at the collecting station itself, it is possible to achieve a substantial circumferential shortening of the individual knitting systems, so that along the circumference of a given machine it is possible to locate an increased number of knitting systems without changing the machine diameter. In fact it is possible to double the number of knitting systems with the features of the present invention.

As above explained, there are three knitting systems, I, II and III. Various ones of the cams and cam tracks have parts which may be found in two or more of the three systems. In the following description of the manner of operation of the apparatus, for the purpose of clarity and succinctness, there is employed a notation wherein the system is first identified by the appropriate Roman numeral, there follows a slanting stroke, and then the part referred to in the recited system is identified by its Arabic number. Thus, for example, cam II/ 16 meanscam 16 in system II.

The operation of the above-described structure of the invention is explained in connection with FIGS. 2a-2e and 4a4e, which respectively illustrate axial sections of the knitting system 11 with different controls for needles according to different pattern selections. In FIGS. 2a-2e, the path of movement of the sliders and needles is illustrated in the case where at the selecting station 17 of the knitting system II the pattern device brings about transfer to the upper cylinder of all needles which carried out knitting operations in the lower cylinder U in the immediately preceding system I. In FIG. 2a taken along line 2a2a of FIG. 1, the control cam II/ 16 coacts with the lower unillustrated butt of the pattern jack 10 to raise the latter against an intermediate jack 11 and thus bring about location of the butt in the upper cam path II/ 19. The intermediate jack 11 then will press against the coupling slider 12 arranged thereover, to which a needle 13 is coupled, and the butt of this coupling slider 12 is thus compelled to move upwardly along the cam path II/21 which leads to the collecting station II/S. After this longitudinal shifting movement has been initiated, the pattern jack 10 has its butt 100 controlled by the cam edge II/ 24 so as to be immediately returned in a downward direction to its initial rest position, while the intermediate jack 11 continues to move along the cam path II/ 19 to move the butt of the coupling slider 12, in the manner indicated in FIG. 2b, subsequent to the collecting station II/S again in the upper coupling cam path II/22 above loop sinking feed cam 40. As a result the needle 13 at its upper end will be longiutdinally displaced behind the coacting coupling slider 14 of the upper cylinder 0, and the particular coupling slider 14 will have been swung, in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2b, in a known way outwards until the upper end of the needle is received in the retaining cavity of the coupling slider 14, as is apparent from FIG. 20. The swinging of the upper coupling slider 14 at the circumferential position of the collecting station S of the lower cylinder U is rendered possible, in a manner known per se, by the presence of a depression 250 in a slider retaining means 25 described in greater detail below.

After coupling of the needle 13 with the slider 14 of the upper cylinder, there follows, as indicated in FIG. 2a, the uncoupling of the needle from the slider 12 of the lower cylinder U, by way of forcing the coupling slider 12 to swing to the position indicated in FIG. 2d as a result of the action of the cam 11/27. The swinging movement is also brought about in this case by the presence of the depression 270 in the retaining means 27 for the knitting system of the lower cylinder U, as explained in greater detail below. After uncoupling from the lower slider 12, the needle is directed by the upper slider 14, whose butt 140 moves along the path 28, to the loop-sinking station 11/29 of the upper cylinder at its system 11, where the loops are formed by the needles.

After the transfer of the needle 13 into the upper cylinder 0, the intermediate jacks 11 in the cam paths 19 are returned to the lower paths 18 and, when in these lower paths, move away from the coupling sliders 12 which by way of the cam paths 11/22 remain in their upwardly shifted positions to achieve a rapid transfer and return of the needles. Only in the region of the loop-sinking cam 23, Where the transferred needle is retracted in the aligned loop-sinker 29 for forming a loop, are the sliders 12 retracted again somewhat into the lower cylinder U to avoid damaging the components.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the butts 120 of the sliders 12 of the lower cylinder, with the knitting selected as shown in FIG. 3, will bring about the return of all of the needles from the upper cylinder into the lower cylinder U at the knitting system II. This return takes place automatically if the pattern selecting device at the selecting station II/A does not bring about displacement of any intermediate jack 11 into the upper cam path 11/19. As is indicated in FIGS. 4a4e, which respectively are axial sections taken along lines 4a4a up to 4e4e of FIG. 3, no pattern jack is displaced at this time to act upon an intermediate jack 11 situation thereover. All of the pattern jacks 10 thus are swung at the selecting station II/ 17 in such a way that they will not engage the control cam 11/16. Thus, the intermediate jacks 11 are not raised and remain at their lower elevations with the butts 1110 moving along the cam paths 11/18. While in the knitting system 1 at the collecting station US, the sliders 12 arriving by way of the coupling path I/22 are elevated immediately again into the coupling path I/22 by way of the intermediate jacks 11 guided along the path I/ 19, so that the needles remain in the upper cylinder and at the loop-sinking position I/29 form loops, in the coupling passage II/ 22, the sliders 12 arriving at the collecting station 11/ S are not influenced by the intermediate jacks 11, so that the coupling sliders 12 remain in the lower cam paths 11/21 and thus retract the needles 13 into the lower cylinder where they are fed downwardly by the loop sinking feed cam 40 to the loop-sinking 11/23 where they form loops.

From FIGS. 4a-4e the return of the needles 13 from the upper cylinder to the lower cylinder is apparent. FIG. 4a shows how the needle 13 is moved by way of the downwardly moving coupling slider 14 in the upper cylinder with the lower end of the needle 13 displaced longitudinally against the corresponding lower coupling slider 12, whereupon the tip of the coupling slider 12 in a known way opens the lower latch of the needle. FIG. 4b

illustrates the further longitudinal movement of the needle 13 behind the slider 12, which at this time has been swung into the depression 270 of the retaining means 27, this operation taking place until the lower end of the needle is received in the coupling recess of the slider 12, so that the needle is at this instant coupled both to the upper slider 14 in the upper cylinder and to the lower slider '12 in the lower cylinder, as is apparent from FIG. 40. Then the uncoupling of the needle 13 from the upper slider 14 is brought about by swinging of the upper slider, by means of the cam 11/31 in the upper cylinder, into the depression 11/250 of the retaining means 11/25. Finally, as is indicated in 'FIG. 4e, the coupling slider 12 with the needle 13 is retracted downwardly toward the loop-sinking station 11/23. During this entire operating phase, there is no engagement between the coupling slider 12 and the intermediate jack 111.

A further contribution to the increase in the knitting output of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention and to the more reliable operation thereof is provided by way of the retaining means 25 and 27 for the coupling sliders 12 and 14, these retaining means being, in accordance with the invention, supported for yieldable movement as has already been indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The details of the structure of the retaining means are illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. In FIG. 5 the pair of aligned retaining means 25 and 27, which are situated one opposite the other and both which form parts of one of the knitting systems, are illustrated with the depression 250 and 270 at those locations where the coupling and uncoupling between the sliders '14 and 12 and the needles 13 takes place. As is apparent from the sectional illustrations in FIGS. 6a-6c, respectively taken along lines 6a-6a to 6C6C of FIG. 5, throughout the entire circumferential width of each knitting system there is a retaining means 25 or 27 in the form of an elongated circumferentially extending strip having a rib projection received in a groove in the upper portion of the wall 33 of the cam assembly of the lower cylinder or in a corresponding lower groove formed in the wall 32 of the cam assembly of the upper cylinder. Between these ribs which are respectively received in these grooves and the innermost parts of the grooves 34, in the upper and lower cylinders, there are, in symmetrically arranged bores 35 of the retaining means, coiled compression springs 36, and for each retaining means there are a pair of these springs, symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of each retaining means, as is apparent from FIG. 7. Thus, the coaction of the ribs and grooves prevents an axial displacement of each retaining means in the upper lower cylinders. On the other hand, a small radial movement toward and away from the cylinder axis is permitted by central stop members 251 and 271 of the retaining means 25 and 27, respectively, these stop members, which are fixed to the retaining means 25 and 27 and extend behind the cam plates 320 and 330 respectively, preventing large radial movements toward and away from the cylinder axis. These central stop pins 251 or 271 in addition permit a relatively small degree of swinging movement of the retaining means.

Each retaining means 25, 27 thus carries an axially extending stop member 251, 271 engaging a cam surface on cams 320 and 330, respectively at a side of said stop member which is directed away from said grooves in the cam assemblies receiving the projections of the respective retaining means. Springs are situated in said grooves for urging the stop member against said cam surface at the side of the stop member.

The retaining means 25 and 27 have, as viewed in the circumferential direction, beside the depressions 250 and 270 the guide surfaces 252 and 272. Moreover, the coupling sliders 12 and 14 have, respectively, above and below their butts and 140, elongated notches 121 and 141. These notches 121 and 141 permit a swinging movement of the coupling sliders 12 and 14 in spite of the raised guide surfaces 272 and 252 of the retaining means 27 or 25 situated almost in the immediate vicinity of the exterior surface plane of the retaining means at the location of the depressions 250 and 270. The length of the notches 121 and 141 is at least as great as the width of the guide surfaces. The coupling sliders 12 in the lower cylinder U can, however, only swing into the depressions 270 when they are guided along the upper coupling cam path 22. In the event that the butts 120 of the sliders 12 are instead guided along the path 20 or along the path 21, a swinging of the slider 12 is prevented by the guide surface 272. This is the situation illustrated in FIGS. 8a-8c, which correspond respectively to FIGS. 6a6c for the lower cylinder with the sliders 12 guided along the path 21. These illustrations show how the coupling sliders 12 remain pressed into the cylinder slide path by way of the action of the guide surfaces 272, so that no swinging of the sliders 12 can be carried out, and in these positions a latch of a needle displaced downwardly from the upper cylinder can be reliably opened.

As a result of the springy yieldable support of the retaining means 25 and 27, the coupling operations between the sliders 12 and 14 and the needles 13 are facilitated since the coupling sliders are elastically supported. Above all, a bending or a breaking of cam components, cylinder ribs, and coupling sliders is avoided if it should happen at any time that a tip of a coupling slider 12 or 14 does not succeed in opening the latch of the cooperating needle 13. The retainers are situated directly at the cam plates 320 and 330 so that a relatively wide intermediate space between the walls 32 and 33 is achieved at the regions where a striping apparatus may be located if desired.

As a result of the resilient yieldable support of the retaining means, which also provides a compensation for tolerances, it is possible to bring about a given degree of increase in the speed of rotation of the machine since the coupling of the needles is carried out with greater reliability.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multiple-system, double-cylinder circular knitting machine having a circumferential row of double-ended latch needles for knitting links-and-links patterns, upper and lower cylinders each including a cylindrical cam assembly and a cylindrical needle assembly one of which rotates with respect to the other for acting on the needles in a given circumferential direction, said upper and lower cylinders respectively having coupling sliders for releasably coupling needles aligned therewith, respectively, selectively to said sliders for shifting a selected needle between said upper and lower cylinders, and said lower cylinder including in addition to the coupling sliders thereof, pattern jacks and intermediate jacks situated respec tively between said pattern jacks and said coupling sliders of said lower cylinder, said upper and lower cylinders each being divided into a plurality of circumferentially distributed independent knitting systems, with the knitting systems of said upper cylinder respectively being aligned with the knitting systems of said lower cylinder, each of said knitting systems of said lower cylinder having a collecting station where there are collected all of the coupling sliders of said lower cylinder which have previously thereto been in a position for being transferred into the upper needle cylinder or to be taken up from the upper needle cylinder, and each knitting system of said lower cylinder having a selecting station where predetermined pattern and intermediate jacks coacting therewith are selected, said selecting station of each knitting system of said lower cylinder being situated in advance of said collecting station thereof, considered in said given circumferential direction in which the needles are acted upon, wherein said upper and lower cylinders have end regions located adjacent and directed toward each other and each knitting system having at said end region of its cylinder an elongated coupling-slider retaining means extending circumferentially along the entire circumferential width of each knitting system, and support means carried by each cylinder and coacting with each retaining means for supporting the latter for resilient yieldable radial movement, each retaining means being formed with a depression into which coupling sliders coacting with said retaining means can swing.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said retaining means are carried by the cam assemblies of said upper and lower cylinders, and each cam assembly having a wall formed with a groove receiving a projection of said retaining means to form with the latter said support means, said projection and groove preventing axial displacement of each retaining means while permitting radial displacement thereof, and each retaining means carrying an axial extending stop member engaging a cam surface at a side of said stop member which is directed away from said groove while springs are situated in said groove for urging said stop member against said cam surface, to achieve a limited radial displacement of said retaining means while providing said resilient yieldable support means therefor.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein each retaining means has in addition to said depression a guide surface situated at the exterior surface of said retaining means 'while each coupling slider has directed towards said retaining means an elongated notch of a length at least equal to the width of each guiding surface with the cams at each knitting system providing for the coupling sliders of the lower cylinder a coupling path which positions said coupling sliders of said lower cylinder for swinging into said depression of said retaining means only when said coupling sliders of said lower cylinder are guided along said coupling path.

4. In a multiple-system, double-cylinder circular knitting machine having a circumferential row of doubleended latch needles for knitting links-and-links patterns, upper and lower cylinders each including a cylindrical cam assembly and a cylindrical needle assembly one of which rotates with respect to the other for acting on the needles in a given circumferential direction, said upper and lower cylinders respectively having coupling sliders for releasably coupling needles aligned therewith, respectively, selectively to said sliders for shifting a selected needle between said upper and lower cylinders, each said coupling slider including a butt, and said lower cylinder including in addition to the coupling sliders thereof, pattern jacks and intermediate jacks situated respectively between said pattern jacks and said coupling sliders of said lower cylinder, said upper and lower cylinders each being divided into a plurality of circumferentially distributed independent knitting systems, with the knitting systems of said upper cylinder respectively being aligned with the knitting systems of said lower cylinder, each of said knitting systems of said lower cylinder having a loop sinking feed cam and a collecting station, spaced in advance of said loop sinking feed cam and a p sinking cam, Where there are collected all of the coupling sliders of said lower cylinder which have previously thereto been in a position for transferring needles into the upper needle cylinder or to receive needles from the upper needle cylinder at each said knitting station, said collecting station including a collecting cam operative to lower coupling sliders from a transfer position to an intermediate position, the butts of said sliders when in said intermediate position being spaced above the loop sinking cam, and each knitting system of said lower cylinder having a selecting station where predetermined pattern and intermediate jacks coacting therewith are selected, said selecting station of each knitting system of said lower cylinder being situated in advance of said collecting station thereof, considered in said given circumferential direction in which the needles are acted upon, wherein the cam assembly of said lower cylinder 11 provides for said coupling sliders, intermediate jacks, and pattern jacks of said lower cylinders, by coaction with butts of said jacks, cam paths for providing control of said coupling sliders of said lower cylinder through said intermediate jacks thereof, and said intermediate jacks being controlled by said pattern jacks according to the selection of the latter at the selecting station of each knitting system, such that upon butts of selected sliders passing said collecting cam they are moved immediately upwardly from said intermediate position by selected intermediate jacks to pass above said loop sinking feed cam and said loop sinking cam, and butts of non-selected sliders remain at said intermediate level to then be fed downwardly by said loop sinking feed cam to said said loop sinking cam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1939 Kent et a1. 66l4 12/1946 Bristow 66l4 12/1957 Kaufmann 6663 9/1963 Kempf 6663 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1933 Great Britain 66l4 6/1939 Great Britain 66l4 9/1959 Great.Britain 66l4 3/1965 Great Britain 66l4 1 WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

